Power of Attorney
Arranging Power of Attorney
Power of Attorney lets you arrange for someone you trust to manage your finances on your behalf. You may want to do this due to a change in your health or a change in your circumstances, such as moving abroad. You may not need someone to help you now, but you can set up a Power of Attorney for the future, just in case.
There are different types of Power of Attorney, and you may want to arrange more than one:
- Ordinary Power of Attorney is typically used to cover a temporary period, such as a hospital stay or holiday. Ordinary Power of Attorney can only be used while you can make your own decisions.
- Lasting Power of Attorney is typically used to give someone the legal authority over your finances if you lose your mental capacity. You can also plan for it to come into force at a future time.
- Court of Protection is used when you lose your mental capacity and have no Power of Attorney in place. The Court of Protection can appoint someone to make decisions on your behalf. The UK government has provided some useful guidance on this process.
Here’s how you might use the different types of supported banking
| Can be used if you: | General Power of Attorney | Lasting Power of Attorney | Court of Protection |
|---|---|---|---|
| Just need help with the small things, like shopping or getting cash. | No | No | No |
| Are physically ill, injured or disabled. | Yes | Yes | No |
| Need a little help with looking after your day-to-day banking, for a shorter period of time, but you don't want someone to make decisions for you. | No | No | No |
| You will be abroad and won't have access to your account (for example, travelling). | Yes | Yes | No |
| Are preparing for when you'll be unable to make decisions or want someone to start looking after all of your finances. | No | Yes | No |
| No longer have the mental capacity to make decisions, and someone needs to do this for you. | No | No | Yes |
To learn more, including how to set up PoA documents, take a look at the government's website.
What documents are required to register a Power of Attorney?
- Fully completed Power of Attorney Application Form
- Power of Attorney/Court of Protection, Guardianship (Scotland), or Controllership (NI) order documents
- Two forms of identification for all private or professional attorneys that are individually named on the Power of Attorney legal document.
- If Power of Attorney is registered with the Office of Public Guardian
Section 1, 3 (personal details for the account holder and also the attorneys), 5, 6, 7 & 9 of the Personal Representatives Renewal Mandate + ID and 1 letter is required for the Power of Attorney.
A care home letter is not required. - If Power of Attorney is not registered with the Office of Public Guardian
We will require the following from the account holder (person who is authorising the Power of Attorney):- Completed/signed POA mandate section 3, 5, 6, 7 & 9
- A form of ID from both List 1 & 2 of our Customer identification requirements document
- Address history (which should be included in section 3 of the mandate)
If you have any questions, you can call us on 0800 092 3300.
How we can help
Change an existing Power of Attorney registration
If you want us to, we can revoke, amend or update attorney details that have already been registered, please call us on 0800 092 3300.
Register a new Power of Attorney
To register a new Power of Attorney, please download the Personal Representatives/Executors, Attorneys And Receivers/Deputies Application Form. Once you have completed the application form you can send it to us at Cater Allen, Santander House, 9 Nelson Street, Bradford, BD1 5AN.
Please see a copy of our 'Customer Identification Requirements List' for your reference.
You will need to include the Power of Attorney and Court of Protection document (it will need to be either the original copy or a certified copy). The documents will be returned to you.